Manufacture of colored imitation mother of pearl



35 or taste, permanent in the air and's oluble in C. and in Patented'dune 4 AMERIGO n. sumo; or NEWA K,

' No Drawing.

UNITED STA 'NEW' JERSEY,

r ,cELLULoIn CORPORATION, aoonronarlon orNE'w JERSEY MANUFACTURE or'oononrm mums MOTHER 0 2 m 1 I This invention 7 relates to the manufacture of decorated plastic --materials employing a base of which celluloid is an example, and to an improvedmethod of making such materials. .More particularly, this invention relates to colored imitationsofmother of pearl and various objects characterizedby a scintillating, lustrous, metallic or nacreous *ap pearance. Oneobject of the present invention is to produce economically materials of this characterwhich will retain their appearance permanently. r

I In the manufactureof imitations of mother of pearl, attemptshave been made to use a pearl essence consistingof brilliant particles er substitutes.- Moreover in the production of mother of pearl Iobjects having a mosaic gold appearance,the use of dyes or coloring pearl essence fails to give the proper hue or V ployed for the production :of-decorative plasitic' materials by any one of a number of d methods now practiced by thoseskilled in the art of using fish scale essence or other subs'ti- ,tutesWThe essenceof lead iodide and cellumetallic gold efiect desired. V

In accordance with my invention, I incorporate into a base of plastic material certain colored metallic salts, as distinguished from metals or alloys, particularly such;v salts as may be obtained in the form of fine,

or the like.f As specific examples I may use bisulphuret of tin, (SnS or preferably iodide of lead (P101 which is V I liquid solutions, such'as a heavy bright'yellow powder without odor about 1300 parts of water at 25 7 about 200 parts of boiling water, separating i from the latter solution on coolingin brilvery slightly solub ordinary lead iodide powder ina small quanliant, silky, golden scales can also be produced by tritur'ating tity of water to which'ammoniumchloride has been added, heatingtoboiling point' and allowing the colorless'solution tocool with the addition of water or other liquids. Using the first method, the sizeof the golden parmatters in the plastic substance containing 3 V y, olden coloredscalesifor example, certai'nf salts of lead,-tin pearls,

ellow'crystalline laminae 1 e in alcohol. The lustrous- Application filed December 27,;1926.;Sei'ia1 no; 157,431.

etc. A satisfactory procedure for preparing the fine scales of lead iodide is as follows:

One part of ordinary lead iodide is. dissolvedin' five hundred parts ofboiling Water.

Ten 'partsof a onepercent aqueous solution out and are removedandfreed if necessary insoluble character,,the wetlead iodide scales may alsobe dispersed in other organic liquids or solvents for'pyroxylin, cellulose' acetate,;.g

lead iodide with 100 :to, 150 parts-of awn-ix v This essence or solution can then beemlose ester may also be employed for example I in' the manufacture of colored imitation n'erv well 1 known in the art. In other words,

ASSIGNOR, nrirnsnnnssmnmnnrs,

colloidal agents, such as acacia,"gelatin,

of :gum, acacia are added; The solution is V then suddenly cooled with vigorousagitation i Thefine sllkycrystalsoflead iodide separate a so I from water by washing with ethyl alcohol, 1 1 4 :methyl alcohol or the like.- Owing to its [ture of equal-partsof ethyl alcohol, methyl r V -alcohol.and amyl'acetate'into whichiare dissolved ten to I15 partsof y oxylinorz more. I

by coatingbeads or the like in a man- V I include in my invention combinations from I varnishes or dopes, to the. more solid masses manipulated in rolls and presses.

In the production of decorative plastic materials the gold colored pearl essence may Y be incorporated in the plastic substance itself while" in. the course of rolling or converting or in a solution of the same which is then flowed on a film'wheel similar to the manner'used in themanufacture of cinemat- Y ographic film. A suspension of scales can also be applied to the, surfaces of sheets of f plastic masses.

The films or are'then' superposed and' welded or flowed together in the'usual manner by heat and;

layers containingthe scales pressure. Sheets of suitable thickness are then out, polished and mounted on different colored backgrounds to produce various decorative configurations. Different colored effects may also be produced by the use of dyes or coloring matters in the plastic material itself. The proportions employed are about one to two parts of the lead iodide to parts of pyroXylin, but I do not limit myself to these proportions as more or less may be used, depending upon the effect to be obtained; but, in general, the above proportions Will produce satisfactory results.

Other methods of incorporating compounds of this character into plastic masses Will suggest themselves to those skilled in the art.

lVhile I have referred to the plastic e1nployed as pyroX-ylin, it is to be understood that other materials may be employed in place of pyroxylin, such. for example, as other compounds of cellulose such as acetyl cellulose, cellulose ethers and other plastic materials such as those made With gelatin, casein formaldehyde condensation products, or other synthetic resins.

I claim:

1. A colored pearl-like material comprising a transparent binding medium containing particles of the silky lustrous variety of lead iodide.

2. A thermo plastic material comprising a plasticized cellulose compound and silky, shining lead iodide incorporated therein.

3. A thermo plastic sheet containing the silky variety of lead iodide.

4. A decorative translucent material formed of a plastic having incorporated therein a finely divided silky variety of lead iodide.

5. A translucent article formed of a pyroxylin plastic having a silky variety of lead iodide distributed throughout the body thereof.

6. A thermo plastic roll product containing 100 parts of pyroXylin and one to two parts of silky lead iodide.

7. A sheet of plastic material containing 100 parts of pyroxylin and one to tWo parts of silky lead iodide.

AMERIGO F. CAPRIO. 

